1 Field of the Invention:
This invention relates to a baking oven for food, such as an oven for commercially baking pizza, namely an oven that has a driven endless conveyor belt passing through the baking chamber.
2. Prior Art:
Conventionl baking ovens normally provide baking temperatures in the range of 150.degree. to 250.degree. C. (302.degree. to 482.degree. F.). Ovens for baking pizza pies normally provide baking temperatures in the range of 288.degree. to 371.degree. C. (550.degree. to 700.degree. F.), the range of 316.degree. to 343.degree. C. (600.degree. to 650.degree. F.) being most typical in use.
Known tunnel-chamber ovens have a thermally insulated casing enclosing the tunnel chamber with openings at the tunnel ends through which an endless carrier or conveyor extends so that goods can continuously enter and leave the tunnel-chamber. The upper flight or portion of the conveyor usually runs immediately above a generally flat horizontal hearth forming the bottom of the tunnel-chamber. The conveyor extends beyond both ends of the tunnel-chamber such that the end portions of its upper flight are readily accessible for loading the goods at the inlet or entrance end of the tunnel and for unloading the baked goods at the exist end or outlet of the tunnel-chamber. Such a conveyor runs about a reversing roll or pulley at each end, each reversing roll being spaced outwardly from each end of the tunnel. One of the reversing rolls or elements is driven so as to move the conveyor. The casing encloses an air heater and an air moving and distributing system as that heated air is moved by one or more fans through a substantially closed circuit which includes the tunnel-chamber.
Tunnel-chamber ovens are generally quite bulky and have been used almost exclusively for large-volume production of bread. Further, they have not always been easy to clean. Furthermore, ovens of this type usually do not have the capability of operating at high enough a temperature to bake pizza pies.